# **Ellison Turns to Saudi Money to Power a U.S. Media Takeover**

**Published:** November 2025  
*Source: The American Prospect*

## What the Article Reports

The American Prospect reports that billionaire Larry Ellison has sought funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to fuel a major push into the U.S. news media landscape — a consolidation effort that could reshape how political information flows ahead of the 2026 and 2028 elections.

Internal documents and sources familiar with the talks suggest that Ellison’s goal is to build a right-leaning media empire capable of competing with, and in some spheres surpassing, Fox News.  
Saudi investment, the article notes, would provide the scale necessary for rapid acquisitions, new digital newsrooms, and a major expansion of content infrastructure.

Source:  
[The American Prospect](https://prospect.org/2025/11/20/ellisons-tap-saudis-to-fund-news-media-takeover/)

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## The Strategic Triangle: Ellison, the Saudis, and U.S. Politics

The article frames the plan as aligning three converging interests:

- **Ellison’s desire** to build a conservative media powerhouse that amplifies his ideological commitments.  
- **Saudi Arabia’s interest** in expanding soft power inside the United States through major cultural and informational channels.  
- **The Trump administration’s preference** for friendlier media ecosystems and billionaire-led influence networks.

The reporting highlights past examples of foreign investment in U.S. news entities, noting that Saudi involvement raises unique concerns — particularly given the kingdom’s record on dissent, censorship, and information control.

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## Why This Matters

The implications stretch far beyond a single investment deal:

- A foreign autocratic government could help bankroll a domestic media empire.  
- Editorial independence may be compromised in ways that are subtle, opaque, and structurally embedded.  
- The boundaries between geopolitical influence and domestic political messaging become harder to trace.

In the Prospect’s telling, this is not just a business story — it’s a glimpse into how global capital, authoritarian interests, and American political polarization may converge to redefine who shapes the national conversation.

NewsRewind⏎

Foreign Money, Domestic Influence: Ellison’s Stealth Campaign to Remake the American Press With Saudi Money.